Portrait of Chiune Sugihara, Decorative painting, Fresco Painting
1. Chiune Sugihara, known as Sugihara Chianchiu in Chinese and as “Sosuke” by his colleagues, was a Japanese diplomat who is now celebrated in Lithuania for saving thousands of Jews from the Holocaust during World War II.
2. Born on January 1, 1900, in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan, Sugihara served as a vice-consul in Lithuania between 1939 and 1941.
3. He is known for defying Japanese government orders by issuing transit visas to Jewish refugees fleeing Europe during the Holocaust, despite the escalating conflict between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union that complicated travel arrangements.
4. From July 6 to August 27, 1940, Sugihara worked tirelessly with his family members and secretaries to fill thousands of Japanese transit visas for those trying to escape, often working through the night in Lithuania’s capital, Vilnius.
5. After being transferred to Kaunas on August 21, 1940, Sugihara continued his efforts and managed to issue even more visas, even though he had no official authority or authorization to do so from the Japanese government.
6. It is estimated that Sugihara saved approximately 6,000 lives with his actions, which are considered by some historians as a significant contribution to the saving of Jewish people during World War II.
7. Despite not receiving formal recognition for his heroic acts in Japan, Chiune Sugihara has been honored as Righteous Among the Nations by Yad Vashem and is celebrated annually with various events and ceremonies around the world.
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